


The Healer Druid

by frasceleon



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: EmiMike, M/M, Magic, Merlin Inspired, MichEmil, No Smut, Some Fluff, Some angst, druid, very not canon sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-01-20 00:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12421446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frasceleon/pseuds/frasceleon
Summary: In medieval times, when magic is outlawed and punishable by death in the kingdom, a druid, Emil, and his kind are exiled to the woods, where they must fend for themselves, without the protection of the King's knights.Most of his kind have accepted their fate, and are just happy that they still have their lives, but Emil has a talent for healing, and longs to prove that magic can be used for good. So he makes a name for himself within the kingdom, much to the King's dismay.He keeps well hidden, careful not to slip up and allow the King to catch him, but what happens when the King's son and only heir to the throne is fatally injured?Will Emil risk it all for the sake of someone whose family is the reason that he is living in the danger of the woods, or will he sit idly while the Prince takes his last breath?





	1. My Name is Emil

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys! 
> 
> This is my first ever fic, so be nice please! Constructive criticism would be great, but I hope you enjoy this story. I noticed a lack in the Emimike fandom recently, and wanted to finally do something about it.
> 
> Warning, this is severely not canon, like the characters are the same and thats about it, so if thats not your kinda thing, then you might not like this fic, but give it a shot anyway? You might like it!!
> 
> One more thing, if any go you have seen BBC's 'Merlin', this is heavily inspired by that.
> 
> I think thats everything I wanted to say... I hope you enjoy!

-Emil-

I'm not an impatient person, in fact, I pride myself on my personality more than anything else. I always try my best to treat people the way I'd like to be treated myself, and even when the good manners aren't reciprocated, at least I'm left knowing that I wasn't giving the other person another reason to hate me.

The nineteen years I've been alive have forced me to develop a strong shell. If I had allowed the words of the commoners to get to me there would be no way I would ever show my face in public, but what kind of a life would I be living if I let people beat me down for something that isn't my fault.

Possessing magic was both a curse and a gift. It gave me great power, allowed me the opportunity to accomplish things that somebody without magic could only dream of, but what good is all of that when the entire kingdom wants to see me hanged for something that I was born with.

Magic is outlawed. Magic is misunderstood. Those who possess it are feared by many, and despised by the rest. Even the druids, my kind, have long since been banished from the kingdom, despite their reputation as a peaceful people. A few reckless individuals ruined the name of magic with their careless antics, and we were left to face the consequences. 

Of course, the words of the commoners hurt, but I try my best to tell myself that it isn't their fault. It was what they were brought up to believe. Those of us who possess magic have been looked down on, hated, for longer than even my great grandfather can remember, and that won't change. Not in my lifetime anyway. It's difficult to change the opinion of a nation, especially one which won't bother to hear you out.

Not under the rule of King Yakov.

King Yakov has been on the throne since before I was born, and he is known across the land as a cut-throat, unforgiving monarch. Not many people have witnessed him smiling, and he makes it his duty to ensure that our kingdom is a magic free one. I wouldn't even be able to count how many people the King has seen executed just for practicing magic in their own homes.

He doesn't care whether or not it's dark magic. If he finds out that you are practicing magic, he won't hesitate to have you executed. Nobody knows from where his deep rooted hatred for the craft stems. All I know is that as long as he is in power, my kind will never be able to live freely.

I spent a long time being bitter about my circumstances, longer than I care to admit. For years I would sit and let my hatred for that kingdom manifest inside of me. I mean, who are they to exile my kind just because of something we can't control? Do they seriously think we're all bad people?

While they're enjoying a life of luxury in their castles and fancy maisonettes, us druids were forced deep into the forests surrounding the kingdom. We don't have the luxury of a roof over our heads, or a mattress to lay on at night time. All we have for shelter are the makeshift tents we have crafted. All we have for food is what we provide for ourselves. We don't have the protection of the King's knights, and so we have to stay alert at all times. It's draining, but that's the path that fate chose for us to travel down. 

For so long, I allowed my abhorrence for the way society works to control me. How is it fair that even the thieves and drunkards in the lower town are above us in the social hierarchy? We are good people. Our faith doesn't allow us to use our magic for selfish personal gains, but none of that seems to matter to the townsfolk.

We are who we are, and I was forced to realise that I could either let my discontent fester inside of me until I turned out as old and acrid as so many of my kind have become, or I could do my best to change people's perception of us. 

And so I chose option two.

I was always told by my family that I was skilled in the art of healing. My mother possessed the same talents, though she was too frightened to demonstrate them. Admittedly, I was too, for a few years, but when I turned fifteen, I had had enough. I'd had enough of hiding away in the woods and waiting for the next attack to come around. I'd had enough of waiting for one of the other druids to suffer an injury so that I could tend to them. 

I'd had enough of living in fear, and so I took a chance.

It took me a few months to really master the art of healing to a level that I felt was acceptable, and even longer to gather the ingredients and materials needed to perform the spells and incantations, but eventually I was ready to to do what I had set my mind to. 

At first I started making appearances in the lower town. Sickness and disease was rife in this part of the kingdom, and so I made it my duty to help those who had no currency to help themselves. 

My first client was an elderly man. His wife was wary of letting a druid into their home, but she was so overwrought with emotion that she was willing to take such a risk. Her husband was dying, and the only hope she had left was my promise to make him better.

Needless to say, I succeeded. All that I asked for in return for saving his life, was for her to tell her friends and family. To let others who are gravely ill to know that I am here to help, and that I will, free of charge, but under two circumstances.

That they spread the word of my services, and that they never disclose what I look like. I'm not an idiot, and I know that if I was recognised by the wrong person, even after saving so many lives, King Yakov would have me executed.

It's easier to wear a hooded cloak and keep my appearance a secret.

The woman took my request seriously, and what had started off as helping a few people in the lower town had somehow manifested into me becoming one of the most famous names in all of the kingdom.

Nobody knew me, yet everyone knew _of_ me. My services had extended from the lower town into the more wealthy settlements, and I even found myself tending to a few of the King's knights over the years, though we both always swore our secrecy, because if the King was to find out that the oh so famous _'Healer Druid'_ restored one of his own men to health, we'd probably both face perilous consequences.

I've been labelled a myth by many, most notably the King, but I didn't mind that too much. I'd rather be fictitious than a wanted man.

I have managed to remain humble throughout the years. There was no way I could become too comfortable in what I was doing, because every new client could lead to my demise. All it would take is for me to fall for the wrong distress call, and the King would have me in his clutches. It has happened many times before, but sensing illness is like a sixth sense to me now, and I can tell when my summons aren't genuine. I can tell when it's a trap.

If you ask me, the King is fully aware that I am real, and he's just frustrated that he can't catch me.

I may live to save the lives of the people who banished my kind from the kingdom, but I feel that with every life I save, the public's hatred for magic relieves slightly. I feel useful, and the fact that the King can do nothing to discredit my work is what makes my job all the more worth while.

\--~--

The past few days have been eventful, to put it simply. It hasn't really affected me personally, though at this moment in time, the kingdom is in disarray.

It's common knowledge by now that Prince Yuri ran into some trouble three days ago when he was out hunting. I'm a druid, so I guess I'm not exactly caught up on all the town gossip, but from what I've heard, his injury is animal inflicted and it doesn't look good.

King Yakov has already seen to it that the knight leading the hunt will be beheaded. It seems ludicrous, but Prince Yuri is his only son, his only child. He's supposed to be heir to the throne, but with so many people saying that he's on his deathbed, I'd assume the King is acting without a clear mind at this point. 

I'm actually surprised that he hasn't ordered the execution of the whole hunting party at this point, but that's beside the point.

Throughout the lower town, and even in the more developed areas of the kingdom, people are already mourning, lighting candles and praying for the future King's recovery.

The mood at my camp is just as somber. As I've already mentioned, us druids are peaceful people. We would never be heartless enough to celebrate the demise of a young boy. From what I've heard, he's only sixteen, and even if his own father is the reason that I've never slept on a mattress before, nobody deserves to die so young.

I've never had the chance to see Prince Yuri myself, obviously, but rumour is, that he's an incredibly likeable young man, despite the fact that he has a slight bad attitude at times, which many are blaming on nothing but his youth, claiming that his short fused temper is a trait that he will outgrow in the years to come. He already shows more maturity than his dad. He gives the people hope for a better kingdom, because though they would never admit it, it's obvious to see that everyone fears our current King.

For that reason, even I've found myself praying for him. How rich is that? I'm praying for the life of a boy I've never met, for a boy whose father has treated my people so horribly, but I guess I just have a soft heart, because I truly do hope he recovers.

Of course, the people have recommended my help to the King, mainly my past clients who actually know that I exist, but the King didn't take too kindly to their suggestions. He was outraged that they voiced their support for magic to be used in the kingdom. He assured them that they I was nothing but a myth, heck he even threatened to exile the next person who brought up my name, ending his little speech with a statement claiming that he'd rather his son die than live as a result of such a vile craft as magic.

I personally pity him. I pity the fact that he's so hellbent on bringing magic to extinction that he won't even entertain the possibility that it may be the only way his son and sole heir to the throne survives the next week.

The Queen has taken it the worst though. Through my minimal sources, I've heard that she never leaves his bedside. She apparently hasn't slept in days because she wants to be there when her son wakes up. I don't have all the details, I don't know how bad his wounds are, but theres nothing I can do to help him. I mean, I could technically help him, but it's not as if I can just waltz into the castle and heal him without being noticed by a guard, or a maid, or maybe even the King or Queen, and so I can't make it my business, as frustrating as it is.

All I can do is wait for the news of either his death or his restoring health to break. Some of the other druids tell me it's for the best, knowing how easy it would be to fall into a trap at this point, and I tell them that I agree, that I'm not crazy enough to show up to the castle and expect to just heal the Prince and walk free afterwards.

As plausible as that excuse sounds, however, I begin to find myself accepting the fact that if the opportunity were to arise, there's no way that I would turn down the chance to bring the prince back to full health.

For all I know, the act of kindness could shatter people's perception of magic. It could save my people from their current living conditions, and wasn't that what I was fighting for to begin with?

If there was any way possible, I would make it my duty to save the prince, and none of my fellow druids could stop me.


	2. Risk Taker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emil is presented with an opportunity he might not be able to turn down.

Another day passed, but this one was actually quite busy for me. A few of the other druids ran into trouble with some bandits on the western border of the woods when they were out gathering supplies.

Luckily, they all made it out alive, but three of them were injured, one critically, and so I devoted most of my day to tending to them. Healing doesn't just happen with the click of your fingers, at least, not when the wounds are so deep and life threatening.

After a few hours of carefully reciting incantations and cutting the contents of my supply bag, I decided that there was no more that I could do. The two with minor injuries were essentially fully healed, and had left my tent with gracious smiles and promises to be more mindful of where they ventured in the future.

The other man, who was injured rather severely was also recovering as well as expected, and though he still wasn't awake, I was confident that, with enough rest, he would be back to his original state within a few days, perhaps a week.

Feeling a sense of pride wash over me at my performance, I allowed myself to relax for the rest of the day, choosing to head over to a secluded part of our camp and sit with my back against the giant beech tree, drumming a soft beat on my thighs as I let my eyes slip closed and inhaled the scent of the forest around me.

To say that I didn't adore the scenery and the peaceful tranquility of where I lived would be a lie. Despite the fact that I'm a very outgoing type of person, and I thrive off of social interaction with others, the serene beauty of the woods that surrounds our camp provides a certain amount of bliss that I feel would be amiss from my life if I were to ever live in the lower town.

The only bitter aspect of living the lifestyle I own is the fact that it is something I was forced into. I didn't have the choice between here and the hustle and bustle of living in the lower town, and while I would probably still pick here over the alternative option, the lack of a choice still left a sour taste in my mouth.

I had almost drifted off into a peaceful slumber with my back pressed against the soft bark when I heard the erratic shouting coming from somewhere within the trees to the east of camp. The yelling was getting louder, and I felt myself subconsciously jump to my feet, my hands pulling my medicine bag over my head so that it rested on my left shoulder, the strap crossing my body diagonally.

My attention, and that of the whole camp, it seemed, was focussed solely on the ever loudening shouts. I couldn't make out the words of whatever the owner of the voice was saying, nor could I tell whether the tone of voice was fearful or excited, but it must have been important if someone was causing such a ruckus when we were supposed to be keeping our location hidden from the rest of the kingdom.

Despite the fact that I wasn't moving to begin with, I could feel my body freeze when I saw the familiar figure emerging from the dense forest, still shouting just as loud despite his now close range. To say I was shocked to see who it was would be an understatement.

I had never in my 19 years of existence seen Otabek making so much noise. Normally, he was quiet, reserved, almost friendless... but not now. In this moment, his eyes were wide, darting around camp in search of something, and I could easily see the mixture of fear and excitement showing through his body language and insane hand movements.

The other thing that had my feet glued to the spot and my jaw somewhat slackened was the fact that I could now decipher what it was that he was yelling, and the increasing number of eyes that were turning in my direction indicated that everyone else was also understanding just what Otabek was calling. _My name._

Eventually his gaze locked onto mine, and his shrieking halted. He composed himself a little before sprinting in my direction, using his hands to pin my shoulders to the beech tree behind me, and for a second, I thought I was gonna get punched.

Yet after a few seconds of squinting my eyes and readying myself for the imminent attack, I realised that his hands were still clamped around my shoulders, his knuckles white and his whole forearms shaking. He was scared. It was obvious to see, but there was something else behind his eyes, and I couldn't quite place what it was. 

We still had the undivided attention of the rest of the druids when he opened his mouth again and spoke in hushed whispers, and my eyes travelled around the camp briefly, taking in the disgruntled expressions of the others when the gathered that they wouldn't be able to eavesdrop on the conversation. I smiled a little at their misfortune before turning my attention back to Otabek.

"Emil," he almost whispered, his deep brown eyes boring holes into my skull. The seriousness of his expression was almost unnerving, but I smiled jovially nonetheless, greeting him as politely as I always do.

He paid that no mind as he continued though.

"Emil, I've just returned from the castle, and-" he started, before I cut him off, my eyes growing huge with disbelief at what had just tumbled from his mouth.

"Wha-" I shouted. "What do you mean the _castle?_ You know how dangerous it is to go there Otabek!" I chided, watching the hint of sorrow dance in his eyes, before it was once again replaced by the resolute determination that preceded it.

"Now's not the time for telling me off, Emil." he said, the erraticism returning to his voice. "You have to let me say what I must say, and then you can ask questions, okay?"

After I complied with a nod and a half glare, he continued.

"I have a couple of friends who work in the castle..." he stated matter of factly, and it took every fibre of my being not to interrupt him once more by asking him how the _hell_ he had friends in that place, but I kept my mouth shut like I promised I would until he finished.

"Apparently, the Queen found out about one particular friendship that I have with her handmaid, though instead of punishing her or sentencing her, the Queen only asked her to relay a message to me. A message that I have been ordered to pass on to you, Emil." he explained.

I could feel my eyes widening, the hope of what was about to come out of Otabek's mouth multiplying by the millisecond, but once again, I masked my excitement and forced any words of protest for how careless Otabek had been with his secret connections back down my throat.

I was too eager to hear what the Queen wanted of me to worry about scolding Otabek right now.

"The Queen wants you." Otabek whispered. "She says that there's no other way for her son to get better. Yuri is dying, and he will be dead by dawn if you don't help. She's distraught Emil, and you're her last hope. You have to help her Emil. You have to."

My breath caught in my throat. Everything that I was hoping would fall from Otabek's mouth had just been spoken. I felt Otabek's grip tightening on my shoulders, coaxing a response from my dry mouth, and I force myself to nod stiffly, watching the worry in Otabek's eyes evaporate and transform into glee, another emotion I wasn't used to seeing on that face.

As if that wasn't already completely out of character, Otabek pulled me into a bone crushing hug, mumbling his thanks into my shoulder as he gripped my cloak, and I was left wondering why he cared so much about the Prince's wellbeing.

I didn't voice my concern though, I was too preoccupied worrying about how I was going to heal him. How would I enter the castle and Yuri's sleeping chambers without being noticed by a guard or the King?

I also wasn't naïve enough to disregard the possibility of this being a trap, but the needfulness in Otabek's eyes as he pleaded with me to save the Prince's life was something that I failed to interpret as anything short of genuine.

I asked him a few more questions, being informed that the Queen was already awaiting my arrival, but from what her handmaid is aware, the King knows nothing of her intentions to revive their son using magic, and that's when the doubt starts to creep into my mind.

King Yakov loathes magic, so it frightened me to no end to think about what he would do if he found out that his own wife was plotting to save their son from the brink of death using that exact craft.

Let's just say that I wouldn't live to see many more sunrises if he ever did find out, but didn't this whole journey begin with me taking risks?

Didn't I begin this hoping to change people's perceptions of magic?

This was the opportunity I was desperate for. This was the chance to show that not all who possess magic seek to overthrow the monarchy, and I'd be idiotic and cowardly to let it slip through my fingers when it is so comfortably in my grasp now.

With one last confirming smirk in Otabek's direction, I had made up my mind. I'd have to delay my nap under the beech tree to a later date, because right now, I had a prince to save.

\--~--

Leaving camp was easier than I had anticipated. Fortunately my work today didn't completely drain the supplies from my medicine bag, so I didn't have to restock before I left.

I refrained from telling the entire camp that I was leaving to save the Prince's life, already knowing that the majority of them would either want to tag along or stop me from going altogether. It was already early evening, but they seemed to be content with the fact that I was making such a late departure when I lied, claiming that somebody in the lower town was in critical condition and in dyer need of help. It had happened before.

I wouldn't bring attention to myself and cause unrest among my people, and so it was better this way, with only Otabek knowing of my true intentions.

After a few quick farewells with my closest friends, I was finally able to leave the camp, disappearing into the trees with nothing to accompany me other than my long dark green cloak, my medicine bag, and a very antsy looking Otabek.

He had insisted that he escort me to the castle, and ignored all of my concerns about the idea. It was he who brought the news back to me after all, so maybe it was only fair that he tagged along. Despite this, I did manage to make him promise not to enter the castle alongside me, ignoring his strangely uncharacteristic pout when he realised that I wouldn't budge on my demand.

The journey was relatively silent, for the most part. Otabek and I had never really had the chance to get to know each other, regardless of the size of out camp. Of course I knew him, but he was always very reclusive, his resting face a little too harsh to deem approachable, even for me.

Even right now, my desire to initiate some sort of conversation was quashed by the ameliorating worry that was now trickling through my veins as I was forced to register the importance of what I had just thrust myself so recklessly into. 

I wasn't backing down. That wasn't an option anymore, now that we were deep into the darkening forest, perhaps halfway between out camp and the the castle. Yet still, I felt the cold sweat gather on my forehead and the slight tremble in my hands as I thought of all the possible outcomes of tonight. 

There was a lot riding on this, and though I wasn't known to buckle under pressure, that didn't mean that this didn't affect me whatsoever.

Otabek must have eventually latched onto the fear that was now emanating from me, because I was suddenly torn from the chilling thoughts rushing through my head by a hand closing around my wrist. I jumped a little, admittedly. I may pride myself on my strength of character, but in my opinion, you cant trust someone who claims not to be scared of anything.

When I turned my head to question what Otabek was doing, I found him staring back at me softly, a shy half smirk only managing to dampen the harshness of his features somewhat, but it was enough for me to know that he was trying to calm my nerves a little, and I felt a rush of gratefulness flow through me at the action.

I smiled back nervously, and Otabek must have took that as a sign of some sort, because before I could open my mouth, he had taken off once more, sprinting at full speed into the trees. His hand was still clamped somewhat painfully around my wrist, forcing me to stumble after him, only barely keeping my footing on the uneven ground.

At first I thought that he was just growing impatient, but when I heard him chuckling from ahead of me I realised that he was doing this in an attempt to tear my mind from all of the possible things that could go wrong tonight, and with the focus I was putting into keeping myself perpendicular to the ground, I found that he was succeeding.

What was more, I was actually enjoying the adrenaline rush that came with racing through the trees, the billowing of Otabek's dark red cloak in front of me, and the thrill of narrowly sidestepping the thick trunks that blurred past me.

It didn't take long before I was matching Otabek's pace with ease, and he didn't have to grip me so tightly to keep my body upright.

I don't know how long we raced through the trees. In that time I allowed myself to embrace the childish exhilaration that I had deprived myself of for so long, and was surprised when I glanced over and saw the same gleeful smile plastered on Otabek's face. It sort of pained me that I had been so wrong about him my whole life, but I promised myself that I'd make it up to him after this was all over.

Our fun came to an abrupt halt, however, when Otabek's foot snagged on a protruding tree root in the ground's surface. He reached out to grab anything that he could that might keep him upright, but the only think that he managed to get a hold of was my cloak, and so, if crashing to the ground at such a high speed wasn't painful enough for him, he also had me coming down on top of him.

The fall didn't hurt me that much, but maybe that was because there was a groaning Otabek between me and the hardened soil. I immediately rolled off of him, reaching out to check if he was okay, but he quickly scrambled to his knees and tried his best to restore the smile that had been on his face a few moments previously.

I felt myself sigh in relief. Maybe he'd be a little bruised and sore, but the speed with which he was getting off the ground was enough of an indication that it was nothing too serious.

Through the obvious pain, he let out a low chuckle, actually apologising to me for bringing me down with him, but the guilt on his face all but diminished when he saw the enthusiastic smile on my face.

I never thought I'd say it, but Otabek had almost effortlessly managed to cheer me up.

I extended a hand, helping him the rest of the way to his feet, and forcing him to walk a few steps, just to ensure that there was no limp or falter in his steps. I'm a healer after all, I just had to be sure he wasn't putting on a brave face.

Once I was content with his state of wellbeing, we continued along the way, the walk infinitely more comfortable now that we were conversing so easily about trivial things.

I realised with a certain level of shock that we must have ran quite a distance, because the castle was now clearly in view from where we stood, basked in an orange glow cast by the setting sun behind it. The purpling sky above us was starting to reveal a few pale stars through the gaps in the tree branches, and I actually found myself at peace.

I felt safe next to Otabek. He was a skilled fighter, more so than me anyway, and so I was less wary of the possibility of confrontation than I normally am.

The air of contentment that seemed to surround the two of us was short lived however, because before we knew it, we had reached the edge of the woods, and I was readying myself to venture out into the quietening streets that lined the castle walls, all of the building much more ostentatious than those found in the lower town. 

In almost a split second, my nerves had managed to multiply tenfold. The reality of what I was about to do was setting in once again, and though it was one of my strong points, I was finding it hard to look at the positives.

I felt a familiar hand rest on my shoulder, and whipped around to see Otabek, another soft expression painted on his face.

"You're the best healer in out camp, Emil." he whispered, refusing to break eye contact with me. His eyes were soft, serene, and I almost felt my heart rate steady just by gazing into them.

"If anyone can save the Prince, it's you. I have faith in you, and I know that you have faith in yourself as well. I'll be waiting right here for you when you're done." he assured, and I couldn't possibly hold myself back.

I almost tackled him into a hug, feeling him tense uncertainly before returning the gesture gingerly, his arms only somewhat resting on my back. I realised that hugging wasn't really his thing, but I needed it in that moment, to show my gratitude for what he had done for me this evening.

"This is why you wanted to come along, isn't it?" I asked, though it was more of a statement. I knew the answer already. "You tagged along so that you could calm me down when I started to overthink, because you knew that I'd start stressing on the way here."

Otabek's soft expression never changed, nor did the pressure of his hand that still rested on my shoulder, even after the brief embrace.

" _You can do this._ " he stated, instead of replying to my question, but the lack of an answer was enough of a confirmation for me. 

With one last smile, that probably looked more like a grimace, I pulled the hood of my cloak over my head, and began my journey towards the castle, reciting Otabek's words in my head in a fruitless attempt to calm my thumping heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm happy with how it turned out, for the most part, and am content with the way the story is going so far!
> 
> I do realise that I may have made Otabek's attitude a little too different from how it is canonically, but I love him and I really wanted to give him a positive role in this, so I hope his kindness wasn't too much of a change from how he is in the Anime. 
> 
> The other thing, I know that Michele isn't in it yet, and I'm really sorry for that (he's supposed to be one of the main characters!!) but I promise he will be part of the story, I just gotta add him at the right time :) 
> 
> Thank you again for reading, any comments or kudos would be greatly appreciated, and I hope to get the next chapter out within a week of this one :D


	3. Hello, Yuri.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emil gets to work on curing the Prince, but when are stories on this site ever plain sailing?

It was a surreal experience. It's not that I hadn't walked through these streets before, I had healed knights and other people of higher standing after all, but the fact that I was willingly heading towards the castle this time didn't fail to chill me to the bone. No amount of optimism could quash the impending sense of dread that was seeming to encase me.

The only thing that actually kept my feet moving along the cobbled streets was the excitement on Otabek's face when I agreed to do this. The light shining from his normally stone-set emotionless features. I was doing this for him, for all of the druids. I was doing this for a better life for us all, and I wouldn't back out. Not when the stakes were so high.

Maybe I was just becoming paranoid, but to me, the streets were ominously quiet tonight. The sun had only recently sunk below the hills and rooftops, the remnants of the orange glow doing little to illuminate the ever darkening skies now. It wasn't late, not really, and yet not a single person walked the streets. The only sounds to be heard were the soft patter of my worn shoes against the stone, and the faint chattering of the townsfolk emanating from their open windows, blissfully unaware of what an important night this would hopefully turn out to be for the future of our kingdom.

Each step was painful, it felt like an eternity before I found myself in the courtyard directly adjacent to the castle entrance. I had seen the castle before, obviously, but never this close up. This was the first time I was able to take in every intricate detail. The grandeur almost took my breath away, and yet I felt my face redden with indignation nonetheless at the fact that such a magnificent place was home to so little people. My whole camp could fit into here with ease, and yet the way that things were dictated that we were to live in the dangers of the forest instead. 

It was unfair, but then so was life.

For some reason, I actually felt a surge of guilt run through me at the fact that I wasn't able to marvel at the beauty of the castle's appearance in the way that most do, but that was because of where I stood now. It was common knowledge that this very courtyard was the place where so many of my kind had lost their lives.

If the King found you guilty of dabbling in magic, then you were destined to take your last breath in this very courtyard, and I could almost feel my blood run cold as I advanced further into it. The castle may be beautiful, but the knowledge of what had taken place on the very ground I walked on made my stomach churn with disgust rather than wonder.

And so I kept my gaze downcast, focussing instead on the fingers that were playing with the sleeve of my cloak, and pretending that there weren't a number of guards lining the courtyard's perimeter who were gawking at me as if I was a dragon.

Truly, I didn't know where to go. All that Otabek had told me was that his friend would meet me at the castle and take me to Prince Yuri, but he didn't specify where exactly I was supposed to meet her, and so I just continued towards the main entrance of the castle forcing one foot in front of the other and trying my best not to turn on my heel and run.

As I neared the castle's entrance, however, I was forced to halt in my tracks, my head snapping up as a delicate voice called my name. _My real name _. I felt my face blanche, my mind working rapidly to work out how I had already managed to blow my cover, but I allowed my shoulders to slump slightly at the sight before me.__

__The owner of the voice, a young woman, was sending me a sheepish smile, her blue eyes held no hint of malice and her arm was outstretched towards me, palm facing downwards as if she expected me to take it in greeting. She wore an ankle length dress, the lilac colour faded and the material worn and cheap looking. Her shoulder length black hair was somewhat tousled, though in no way messy. If anything, it indicated a hard day's work, and after an embarrassing amount of staring, I finally realised that this had to be the Queen's handmaid, otherwise known as Otabek's friend._ _

__Breaking free from my reverie, I reached out for her hand, taking it gently and kissing the knuckles before releasing it. I didn't miss the coarseness of her skin, solidifying my initial thought that she was indeed a maid._ _

__"A pleasure to meet you, my lady." I greeted, forcing my lips to turn up gently and my eyes to meet with hers. Etiquette was an important thing in this part of the kingdom, and the last thing I wanted to do was come across rude or uncivilised._ _

__A light dusting of red formed on the maid's cheeks as she cupped the hand I kissed with her other, and she looked back up at me, smile still intact._ _

__"Please, call me Isabella, I'm not important enough for such a title..." she trailed off, her eyes darting around uncertainly until they fell on the on the man standing next to her. I followed her gaze, and fought to keep the smile on my face as I too made eye contact with the man._ _

__"This is JJ, my boyfriend. He works in the kitchens, and he promised to help us tonight." she concluded, pointing to her companion, who I had chosen up until this point not to pay much attention to._ _

__JJ too was dark haired. He smiled enthusiastically at me, staring at me almost with wonder, as if I was one of the most fascinating people to walk this earth, though since I was a druid, and we didn't exactly have the privilege of walking the town freely, perhaps I could understand his awe somewhat._ _

__Something about his smile was a little more unsettling than Isabella's though, where her's was shy and sweet, his was filled with a confidence that had me on edge. He gave me a handshake that was firm and strong, and he even winked at me. He _winked at me_.__

____The man was full on, and coming from me, that was quite a statement._ _ _ _

____"An honour to meet you." he greeted, and I almost took a few steps back in shock, painfully aware of how wide my eyes had gotten at the words._ _ _ _

____An _honour?_ Perhaps it was just a word, but nobody had ever used that word when greeting me, especially considering the fact that I was a druid. Even the people who I have healed had allowed me into their homes grudgingly and forced me out as soon as the process was over. ___ _

______That word is never used when greeting a druid._ _ _ _ _ _

______Yet still, I couldn't conceal the wide mouthed grin that crept it's way onto my face at the level of respect JJ had just shown me._ _ _ _ _ _

______Maybe there was something unsettling about him, but I liked this guy._ _ _ _ _ _

______Not forgetting my courtesies, I replied in a way that I hope would be equally polite._ _ _ _ _ _

______"The pleasure is all mine." I almost whispered, still smiling foolishly and for a second forgetting exactly what I was here for, all because people were actually treating me like a real human being._ _ _ _ _ _

______I couldn't let my mind stray from the task at hand though, and so I shook free from the feeling of warmth that was travelling through me and forced my eyes to travel around the courtyard._ _ _ _ _ _

______The guards were still eyeing me curiously, and yet none of them had approached me to ask what business I had here. Suddenly, I felt like I was being hoodwinked._ _ _ _ _ _

______The guards wouldn't just let anyone into the castle, would they? So why had it been so easy for me to walk through the courtyard?_ _ _ _ _ _

______JJ must have noticed my sudden unease, because he placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned in a little closer, the confident twinkle still in his eyes._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Don't mind them, the Queen paid them a little extra to keep their mouths shut about you, even went as far as to threaten the life of whoever brought the news to the King. In any case, they'd probably still be too scared of what the King might do if they told him."_ _ _ _ _ _

______I smirked slightly, a warmth enrapturing me at the revelation that there were people, Knights even, who were willing to defy their King in the hope that their misconceptions about magic were... well... misconceptions._ _ _ _ _ _

______Feeling a little less reluctant now, I nodded to JJ, taking his outstretched hand and allowing myself to be led deeper into the castle, Isabella following behind and keeping an eye on the rear._ _ _ _ _ _

______We passed by countless doors, through a foyer at least three times larger than my camp, and up a few flights of a stone spiral staircase in pristine condition._ _ _ _ _ _

______My heart was thumping harder with every step we took, my pulse rate spiking dangerously with every guard we passed, yet nobody stopped me to question our purpose. It was as if everybody was in on this but the King, and despite the fact that I was aware of the fear that the townsfolk had for their King, I didn't expect the divide between the monarch and his people to be so extensive._ _ _ _ _ _

______It was a baffling thing to witness up close._ _ _ _ _ _

______So deep in thought, I lost myself as I was being dragged through the endless maze of corridors, and before I knew it, we were standing stationary outside a wide chestnut coloured double door. JJ still wore his confident smirk, but I couldn't help but overanalyse the slight tightening of his grip on my hand, and Isabella even looked a little nervous as she brought her fist up to knock gently on the door._ _ _ _ _ _

______The guard stationed outside the door did nothing to stop us either, he even gave me an assuring nod, to which I was able to muster a wide smile. The act in itself left me flustered, I mean, he was a guard after all. A _guard! _____ _ _ _ _

________I didn't really have time to gather myself before the door swung open, and suddenly I was faced with none other than the Queen of our entire kingdom._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Perhaps on a regular day her demeanour would be elegant, royal and confident, but today I couldn't seem to look past the way her shoulders were sagging, or the darkness of the circles that surrounded her near defeated eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________She looked broken, until her eyes found my face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________A new liveliness seemed to flood through her, forcing her posture straighter and her hand to come up to wipe at the tear streaks that stained her rosy cheeks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________To say that Queen Lilia wasn't beautiful would be a lie, and I could only imagine seeing her as she would normally look, sitting at the head of a banquet table, or on the throne beside her husband's. Her age was showing right now, but I don't suspect that she would have looked anything shy of stunning in her heydays._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Not forgetting where I was, I bowed exaggeratedly low and greeted her with as polite a voice as I could muster, even going as far as to calling her 'your grace', and thereafter wondering whether I should have instead addressed her as 'your highness'._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I considered removing my hood, but even in this circumstance, couldn't bring myself to do so._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________She regarded me with a weak smile nonetheless, grabbing for my hand and yanking me into the room without so much as a word. The time for pleasantries had obviously ended._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________JJ followed in right behind me, not letting go of my other hand, for which I was somewhat perplexed, but mainly grateful. It was nice to have the support, even if I met him not ten minutes ago. Isabella entered last and closed the door, remaining there as I was led to the bedside of who must have been Prince Yuri._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I didn't really have time to survey the room. It was open plan, not a lot of furnishing, and there was a high window on the right wall, but other than that, I didn't seem to gather much else._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Not when my eyes fell on Prince Yuri._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He was laying on the bed, a cold cloth pressed to his forehead and his covers pulled up to just under his armpits. I had to refrain from gasping in shock at just how poorly his condition was. His skin was ghostly pale, taut and elastic looking, his breaths ragged and shallow, and his whole body shook tensely. I could almost hear his teeth grinding from where I stood at the edge of the bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________JJ released my hand and backed towards the door to join Isabella, the confidence drained from his face along with any colour upon seeing the Prince's condition. He took her hand as she buried her face into his shoulder, and a pang of sympathy shot through me at the sight. It wasn't a secret that the people loved Prince Yuri, regardless of his capricious nature._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________After a few seconds of us all just staring at the Prince, Queen Lilia finally spoke up, her voice weak and trembling beyond belief._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Please... You have to help my baby. You can help him, can't you?" she whined, and I almost expected her to drop to her knees and beg for my help._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I could have done what many of my people would, and demand a price for my efforts before I took on the challenge of healing her son, but the pain behind the Queen's eyes was far too much for me to act so coldheartedly, and so I just nodded determinedly, before lowering myself to my knees by the bedside and searching through my medicine bag._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I could do this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I would do this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I informed the Queen, JJ, and Isabella that this requires patience, especially considering his state. The process of healing could take hours, and I would need peace and quiet to perform the spells and incantations. Any distractions could throw me off and prove fatal to Yuri's health._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________After receiving a nod of understanding from everyone present, I gritted my teeth and peeled back the bedsheets, revealing the deep, discoloured gash that travelled from one side of the Prince's torso to the other. I forced the bile that had made it's way up my throat back down, and ignored the gagging that emanated from JJ's direction._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________This was the most important day of my life, and I had to concentrate like I never had before._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I could, and I would heal Prince Yuri, and when I did, my people would get the chance to live a normal life as a result._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________With that in mind, I pulled out the first flask from my medicine bag and turned to Yuri._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Hello, Yuri." I whispered, ignoring the somewhat glare I got from the Queen for not addressing him properly, but he wasn't actually awake to complain about it himself, so I didn't bother to correct myself. "I'm here to fix you. I promise I'll do my best to ensure you have a safe recovery." I muttered. I don't know what it is about talking to the patients before I begin that calms me, even if they cant hear me, but it does help._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________With one last glance at everyone in the room, I took a deep breath and got to work._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________\--~--_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Basing my assumptions on nothing but JJ's constant updates, it was currently just past midnight, meaning that I had been working for just over three hours now. I'm not one to brag about my talents, but I must admit that I'm very proud of the progress I have made on Prince Yuri thus far._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He is still dangerously unstable, his condition has bettered, don't get me wrong, but I still have a long way to go until I can safely say that he will survive. Right now, however, I am just content with the fact that, if my concentration doesn't slip, I'm sure I can restore the Prince to a stable health far before sunrise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Queen Lilia had been sombrely quiet the whole time, observing my work with a critical eye, and refusing to even sit down. It is obvious that my presence makes her uncomfortable, but the half smiles that she somehow manages to shoot my way every time we accidentally lock eyes tells me that she is trying her best to be hospitable._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Isabella and JJ were still stationed by the door, though they must have slid down it at some point, as they both wound up in a sitting position with their backs rested against it. Isabella had dozed off a few times, but snapped back to consciousness not long after with a gasp, and subsequently, an apology for her tiredness._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Despite my request for silence, JJ hadn't managed to stay quiet for upwards of thirty minutes, breaking the silence with updates on the time of day, or simply to pay me compliments on my devotion or skill. Perhaps I should have been disgruntled by the constant distractions, but the fact that he was saying such nice things didn't really bother me too much, so I let him be._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Some people are just optimistically chatty, and if that was JJ's nature, then who was I to silence him?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It had been about fifteen minutes since his last articulation, and so all that was heard were the incantations that passed my lips and the soft snores coming from Isabella._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________That is, until I heard a voice from outside the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Y-your majesty... I am sorry to say that the Queen has requested privacy with her son in this trying time." the voice recited, almost robotically, but it wasn't hard to place the fear that laced every syllable._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I tensed up immediately, noting that JJ and Isabella were on their feet once more, and Queen Lilia wasn't so slumped in her standing position anymore. It took everything in me to keep my concentration, because there was no way I could pause mid-incantation. I had to continue, no matter what._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Dare you speak to me in that tone!" I heard the bellow reverberate from behind the door, and I confirmed with a suffocating sense of dread that it was in fact the King who wanted access to the room. To this very room. "I am the King and I will enter whichever room of _my _castle I please. _Do I make myself clear?" _he almost bellowed._____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Throughout the whole debacle, I continued working over Yuri's wounds, my efforts tripling, because I didn't want to accept defeat. I had come so far, the end was in sight! Yet, one quick glance at Queen Lilia's face told me all I needed to know._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________It was all over. I was as good as dead, and perhaps she was too. She did go behind her husband's back ad turned to magic, despite his repulsion towards the art._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Perhaps foolishly, however, I kept going. Through the poor guard's fruitless attempts to stave off the King's advances, and through Isabella and JJ's rapid brainstorming of what to do, I managed to continue. I was in my element, and, as stupid as it is, a part of me was thinking that maybe the King would accept that I just wanted to help when he finally made it to this side of the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Wishful thinking, huh?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Unfortunately, the voice in the back of my head told me that that was absolutely not the way it was going to pan out. With a slam, the King burst through the door, a heavily disgruntled glower etched onto his hard face. His crimson robe billowed behind him as he strode further into the room, and I must admit, I was a little disappointed to see no sign of a crown atop his balding head. He just looked like a very angry man in expensive clothing, not a King._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"Lilia, can you believe this gua-" he started, before actually taking the time to analyse the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________His eyes travelled from Lilia to Isabella, already narrowing in disapproval, and then to JJ. The disapproval mixed with confusion as he gazed upon JJ's presence, probably unable to identify just who he was. He was only a member of the kitchen staff, after all. Why would the King have to go out of his way to get to know such a lowly ranking individual._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Finally, he turned his gaze to Yuri's bed, and consequently, _yours truly _. My hand was still hovering above his midsection and my mouth was still speaking in the ancient tongue of the druids, making it overtly clear that I was in fact a druid.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Needless to say, his reaction was what I expected, but not what I had hoped._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I watched as his eyes twitched, as his mouth opened and closed a couple of times soundlessly, and then as he yelled for the guards at the top of his voice._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________That was when I broke the incantation, my fight or flight reflex kicking in and the link that I had established between myself and the Prince breaking prematurely._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I scrambled back on all fours, because when I say fight or flight, I really mean flight. In case it wasn't clear already, I was not a fighter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________King Yakov must have interpreted that as a weakness, and he decided to take matters into his own hands, taking a step towards me, and closing the gap. His face was still twisted with fury, his fists clenched to the point where the knuckles whitened, and either his rage was drowning out the Queen's pleas for him to see reason, or he really didn't care to listen._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________All I could do was watch as he advanced closer towards me. I was backed into the corner of the room, there was nowhere to escape to, and I feared that even if there was, my legs would give out on me before I even made it out of the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Suddenly, however, he wasn't stalking towards me. Instead, he was being tackled sideways to the floor by none other than JJ. I watched as the two toppled to the ground, King Yakov crimson faced and more furious than I think I have ever seen a human being before, and JJ sitting on top of him, pinning his wrists to the hardwood floor with all his might and shouting something in my direction, his eyes locked with mine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Wait, why is he looking at me? Unless..._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________Shit _, he's talking to me.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________"-mil! What are you doing?! _RUN!! _"___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________And so I did._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I don't know how I managed to get to my feet, but I did, and before I knew what was even happening, they were carrying me past a hysterical Lilia, past a hysterical Isabella, and straight into a hysterical door guard._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Instead of restraining me and returning me to the King, however, he grabbed onto my forearm, screaming something in my ear, and regarding me with wildly blown eyes as he awaited a response, but the adrenaline that was running through my body just forced the words in one ear and out the other._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Too many things were going on inside my head, the two main ones being shock at what JJ had just did for me, and the nagging worry that what I had accomplished tonight hadn't been enough to save Yuri._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I had never halted in the middle of the healing process before, and truth be told, I wasn't really sure what happened if you did, but I just hoped that I had done enough. I mean, he was in a much better condition than when I had started, right?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I brought my mind back to reality, to where I was being dragged through the endless maze of corridors once more, only this time, much more forcefully. I feared that I might look like a deer who had just spotted a hunter pointing a rifle at their head, and judging by my lack of cooperation up until this point, I was sure that was the case, and that was just something I'd have to deal with. I never claimed to be fearless of brave anyway, so it wasn't a shock that I had completely short fused when it mattered most._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________The door guard turned to me a number of times, either telling me to speed up, or putting a finger to his lips to signal that I was to stay quiet, and whatever the order, I complied._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________In all honesty, I don't think I was in the right headspace to question his motives right now. Not now that, on top of everything else, the warning bell was sounding across the kingdom, almost deafening me with every toll._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________This time, navigating the castle took a much longer time, because now, we had to avoid all of the other guards, who suddenly seemed to have regained their allegiance to the King, and were actively hunting me instead of turning a blind eye._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________After determining that at this stage, all known exits from the castle were sealed and manned, the door guard seemed to have an epiphany, his eyes illuminating as the light bulb moment hit him, and before I could ask a single question, I was being whisked back around another corner and further into the unknown corridors of the seemingly endless castle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________We reached another spiral staircase, heading downwards until we were at the bottom floor, which, judging by the lit torches that adorned the walls, must have been basement level._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________We ran for a little longer, until we reached a dead end. The door guard let go of my arm, pointing upwards. Though it was difficult to see anything in such dim lighting, I did manage to make out a slight crack in the ceiling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"This is sort of like a manhole cover, where the workers come when there is a problem with the water supply. It takes you out onto an alleyway near the centre of town." he whispered. "I'm sorry I cant get you to a safer place, but all of the other exits are blocked. The warning bell is still ringing too, and I don't think we have that much time."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________In the faint light, I could make out that his fingers were interlaced, palms facing upwards, and understood that he was trying to give me a boost. I opened my mouth to speak before I complied though._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"Why are you doing this for me?" I asked, trying my best to sound genuinely curious rather than condescending. He sighed lightly before answering._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"Not all of us are like the King, Emil. JJ, Isabella and I, we're good people, and we have had enough of his hatred. Someone had to stand up to him and his idiotic ideals, and if that someone was us, then I have no regrets standing alongside you in this battle..." he explained, and all of a sudden, I was glad for the darkness, in the hopes that it did something to hide the tears that were welling up in my eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"Did you manage to heal Yuri?" he asked, a little too much enthusiasm in his voice. I cast my gaze downwards to my feet, not sure what the best way to answer would be. I could be optimistic, or I could be painfully realistic._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"I... don't know if I have done enough. Certainly, he's in much better shape than when I first started, but the King walked in just as I was nearing the end, and I've never stopped halfway through an incantation." I confessed, before sighing deeply once more. "All I can do is hope, I guess."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________In the darkness, I could see the white of the guard's teeth as he smiled at me, and relaxed my frame a little._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"You've done all you could, so there is nothing to apologise for if Yuri doesn't recover from here. The fault would be King Yakov's, not yours..." he promised, and it took everything within me not to lunge forward and embrace him in that moment, but I managed to settle for an incredibly grateful and probably sheepish smile instead. "Now are you gonna take my boost or what?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I snapped back into reality, nodding affirmatively and moving into position._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"I'll help you out from above?" I voiced my assumption, but stopped in my tracks when I made out that he was shaking his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"This is where I leave you, friend. You know how to be stealthy, and I fear that two figures would attract too much attention, not to mention that I'm wearing one of the castle guard uniforms. The knights would recognise me instantly and know that I was up to something... It's better that I stay here and make sure nobody follows you up there." he reasoned, and despite my desire for him to be by my side, I couldn't deny that he sort of had a point._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Acting off of nothing but instinct, I closed the gap between us, embracing him warmly in the hope that my gratitude might be somewhat translated in the gesture._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"Thank you so much..." I trailed off, realising that I didn't even know his name._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"Seung Gil." he supplied, hugging me back gingerly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I nodded. "Thank you, Seung Gil."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________We broke apart, and I accepted the boost, carefully removing the manhole cover and emerging into the open air of the town, the dark sky visible now between the high rooftops that flanked both sides of the alleyway. I looked down one last time to see Seung Gil smiling up at me, the moonlight reflecting off of his face and illuminating it once more._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"Good luck, Healer Druid." he said softly, and I smirked at my well known nickname, casting my eyes downwards to meet with his one last time._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________"And good luck to you, friend." I replied, smiling genuinely, before sealing the hole in the ground once more, leaving us both very much alone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I scanned my surroundings once more, taking in the alleyway and trying, and failing, to get some sort of bearing of where I was._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Therefore I picked a direction and began to head that way, confident that it would take me to the forest eventually._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________All might still not be a loss. Perhaps I had done enough to save the Prince. Keeping that optimism, I exited the alleyway onto the cobbled street, carefully sticking to the shadows as I slinked through street after street._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________It would all be okay. Yuri would live now, and my people will be accepted into society. That is what I had to tell myself to continue on._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty friends, I hope you enjoyed my longest chapter so far! Incase you didn't notice I love JJ like a son (brother?? we're the same age, so I'm gonna go brother) so of course I was gonna make him a good guy and all round positive addition to the story, and I don't think I've ever met a fan who holds a grudge against Isabella or Seung :D
> 
> As for Michele, I PROMISE that he will be in the next chapter! *audible gasps*. just not sure yet whether I should keep the entire story in Emil's pov or alternate...
> 
> Anyway... Once again, thanks for reading, and I hope to see you in the next chapter (whenever that may be)! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michele is here, but will he help Emil or turn him over to the knights?

\--~Michele~--

It’s never a good feeling, being shunned by someone you call family. To be hated by someone who means so much to you. At this moment in time, I couldn’t seem to shake the fact that I had shattered the bond I had with my sister definitively. 

It’s not as if I don’t feel like this every time we have a small disagreement or a minor squabble, but even I can admit that tonight, I took my protectiveness much too far, and I cant help but feel like I’ve lost Sara for good this time.

Let me give you a little context though.

My name is Michele, I am 23 years old, and I live under the rule of King Yakov, as a blacksmith. I don’t mean to brag, but our blacksmithing business is without a doubt the best in the kingdom. I mean, why else would the King himself, along with all of his knights, come to us to have their swords sharpened and what not.

I share the business with my friend Viktor, and between the two of us, we barely manage to keep up with the demands of the customers. It is a lot of work, providing for the entirety of the king’s knights, as well as whatever other customers we have, but it is a privilege to be noticed among our society, especially considering our less than noble upbringing.

If you couldn’t tell, I take great pride in my craft, and so does Viktor. We have a strong relationship, now that I’ve learned to handle his spritely nature, and in turn he has managed to withstand my constant mercurial attitude.

Let’s just say, I wasn’t much of a socialite. I much preferred staying in the workroom of the blacksmith shop, only showing my face to hand the product over to whichever client I was dealing with. Even then, it was a struggle to keep the smile on my face throughout the transaction.

It’s not like I was a complete recluse who hated life, but what I do hate is the concept of small talk. I have my own eyes to regard the weather, and my work takes up a lot of my time anyway, I don’t need new friends.

I have Viktor, and more importantly, I have Sara. 

Oh. That’s the other thing about me. Even I can see that I may be a bit overprotective of my twin sister, Sara, but who can blame me? None of the men I see her with are even close to deserving of her, and I won’t apologise for not being scared to voice my opinion.

Now that I think about it, it was bound to happen sometime soon. Ever since she took up that position as barmaid at the local tavern, I’ve been practically peeling the greasy drunk men off of her. She’s just too nice to tell them to go away, and so she endures their torment, with nothing but the bar separating her from their grubby fingers.

It made me so sick I actually became a regular at the tavern, just so that I could keep an eye on her, y’know, make sure she stays safe and what not. 

Viktor would occasionally come with me, and I only wish that he had tonight, because he is the only one other than Sara who is capable of quashing my rage when I see something that I don’t like.

But alas, he was spending the night with the old baker’s son, Yuuri. Yuuri is nice, judging by the few moments I actually had to meet him before he was whisked off be Viktor, and I can tell that he makes Viktor happy. All I hope is that they are careful.

A relationship like theirs under the rule of King Yakov is a dangerous one. We’ve seen other townsfolk executed for who they love by that close minded twat of a King. None of us are stupid nor brave enough to speak up against him, though. Anyone who defies the King is guilty of mutiny, or treason, or something…

Basically, they get hung too.

And I for one like my neck as it is, so if anyone asks, I have no quarrels with the King’s ideas, but just between you and me, he’s perhaps the worst human I’ve had the pleasure of laying eyes on.

Anyway, I went off topic once more. 

Sara! That’s where I was.

As I have already mentioned, I dislike the idea of any man mistreating Sara. I think by now it is common knowledge that it wouldn’t be worth your time pursuing her, not when I’m in the bar anyway, and for the most part of the night, people kept by that belief.

Though, at around 11:30pm, imagine my surprise when I see a man with a long cloak and bright red shoulder length hair tucking a strand of _MY_ sister’s hair behind her ear for her. 

__He actually reached across the bar and touched Sara, and I don’t know whether it was the grateful smile Sara was giving the wretched man, or the blush that dusted her cheeks as she muttered her thanks, but I for one wasn’t gonna sit by while a shabbily cloaked commoner manhandled Sara._ _

__And so I did what any good brother would do. I took action._ _

__Only, I wasn’t aware before I pushed the red haired man that he was actually a she, and it only became clear when she was on the floor gazing up at me through disgruntled eyes._ _

__The whole tavern seemed to freeze, everyone registering what had just happened in their minds, including me, and then, the whole room ignited into a firestorm of outraged shouting, all of it directed at myself._ _

__Everyone was yelling at me; the man who still stood glued to the spot, staring down at the girl I had just bowled over in a fit of rage._ _

__I don’t know whether the lingering anger was still there in my expression, or whether it had transformed into a mixture of fear and awe, but whatever it was, it wasn’t threatening enough for the red haired woman not to get to her feet and punch me in the face._ _

__I deserved it, there’s no denying that fact, but it still hurt like hell, and once she had got her swing in and swiftly vacated the tavern, the rest of the drunkards must have thought it was their turn now, and who was I to deny them a fight._ _

__To make a long story short, I took on a number of heavily intoxicated men with little to no hand eye coordination, and was kicked out of the tavern at the early hour of a quarter past midnight, a red faced Sara glaring daggers at me from behind the bar, and a few cuts and bruises decorating my face and knuckles._ _

__And I was still pissed. Not at the red haired woman, of course. It had all been a misunderstanding and she had exacted her revenge rather tastefully in my opinion, but what gave the other drunken fools the right to take over from her?_ _

__I had learned my lesson. My nose was already sore, and in any case, Sara was in no danger. Why then, did they have to get involved?_ _

__I decided to walk around the lower town for a while, allowing the cool wind dissolve the rage that was still boiling within me._ _

__It seemed to be working, the walkways were desolate at an hour this late, no horses nor people to navigate myself through, and the sky was clear, onyx coloured behind the twinkling stars. I was at peace, even Sara was cast from my mind as I allowed myself to dissociate._ _

__Yet, like all good things, my tranquility just had to come to an abrupt halt._ _

__I almost jumped out of my skin at the first toll of the warning bell, a colourful variety of curse words tumbling from my mouth as I forced my heart rate back down a couple hundred beats a minute._ _

__Then it hit me. I was in the midst of the lower town, and though I wouldn’t call myself wealthy, my shared sleeping quarters above the blacksmith shop were quite a trek away, in the direction of the castle, where the commotion was stemming from._ _

__I sighed deeply, taking off through the still empty streets once more, but this time heading back home._ _

__I was stopped a few times along the way, by knights out searching for whoever it was that caused the warning bell to toll, but they all knew my face, and so sent me on my way with nothing but a notice to be careful._ _

__They offered me an escort, but I declined with a glower and a tone that I knew wasn’t all too friendly. I could make it home myself, and the person they were searching for was probably long gone by now. The bell had been sounding for upwards of fifteen minutes, so they were probably deep into the safety of the woods bordering the town, meaning that I truly didn’t have to bother myself with getting anxious._ _

__The only people roaming the streets at this point were knights, and the very few stragglers who were speedily making their way home._ _

__I was a little over half way home when I came across an alleyway that branched off from the main footpath. It was situated in between the butcher’s and one of the many townhouses, and I wouldn’t have hesitated to just stroll past it and pay it no mind, had i not just barely heard a soft noise radiating from somewhere in the darkness of it._ _

__It sounded like a sniffle, as if there was somebody lurking in the shadows who was crying, and while every shred of common sense within me was screaming at me to pay it no mind and continue on my way home, I couldn’t seem to stop my feet from taking the sharp left into the darkened alley._ _

__I willed myself to keep my footsteps silent, even going as far as to search the darkness for a weapon of some sort, just in case I would encounter whoever caused the bell to sound, but I had no such luck. Only a few empty horse carts and barrels occupied the thin walkway._ _

__I pushed myself further into the darkness, noting that the dead end up ahead was becoming ever closer, but then so too was the soft sniffing that I had only barely heard on the main road. It was now much more audible, the source still hidden, but if I was to guess, it was probably coming from behind the few barrels that were situated just ahead and to my left._ _

__All of a sudden, the burning desire to have at least something to defend myself with had evaporated, and all that was left behind was curiosity at who the hell would be crying in the desolate streets during the warning bell at one in the morning._ _

__Funnily enough, not a lot of people came to mind._ _

__Yet still, I spurred myself further forwards, now certain that the barrels only a metre from where I stood were where the strange noises were resonating from. It was obvious that someone was crying, but it was also obvious that they were trying their damnedest to quash the sobs that were mercilessly escaping their lips._ _

__I felt a stab of pity, and maybe it was my brotherly instincts kicking in, but all fear of what I might find behind those barrels disappeared, and I found my feet moving faster than before._ _

__When I stopped beside the barrels, I finally laid eyes on the cloaked figure crouching on the ground. Their face was covered by the hood of their cloak, which looked to be a dark green, if the light from the moon was anything to go by. They didn’t seem to recognise me, not yet anyway, as they continued to cry into their hands._ _

__I found myself shifting my weight between my feet nervously, not really sure how the best way to grab the cloaked figure’s attention would be at this point. I felt like I was already intruding, despite the public setting of the alley._ _

__After a painfully long time of holding my breath, I finally gathered the courage to clear my throat, shifting my feet into a more defensive stature, just in case they had the thought of attacking._ _

__The sniffling halted almost immediately. A small gasp escaped the cloaked figure’s lips, and then there was silence. I continued to look in their direction, but whoever it was seemed frozen to the spot, not daring to move a muscle._ _

__Once again, I found myself obliged to do something, and so I opened my mouth to speak, but the only noises that passed my lips were a few stuttered _'umm'_ s and _'errr'_ s.__

______I don’t know what it was that convinced him to eventually look up at me, maybe it was reassurance from the amount of stammering that I was forcing past my lips, but before I knew it, I was staring into the most captivatingly beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen._ _ _ _ _ _

______They were veiled by a thin film of tears, yes, but the cerulean hue was almost mesmerising. I physically had to shake my head from left to right to break free from the brief reverie that my mind had been thrust into._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Um… w-whoa.” I marvelled subconsciously, any trace of a thinking process leaving my capabilities without warning. I gathered that the cloaked figure was a man, if the facial hair was anything to go by, and I felt my heart sink even deeper at the thought that someone whose eyes held so much innocence and vulnerability somehow held the fate of crying alone in such a dim and dingy back alley._ _ _ _ _ _

______I almost wanted to crouch down and hug him. To rub comforting circles into his back and tell him that whatever the problem was, that it’d all be okay, but that was both creepy and incredibly uncharacteristic of me._ _ _ _ _ _

______I wasn’t supposed to care about anyone except Sara and Viktor._ _ _ _ _ _

______So why was this sobbing stranger in front of me extracting so much sympathy from me?_ _ _ _ _ _

______Without a second glance, I knelt on the hardened dirt path, watching the boy’s teary eyes widen as he scrambled back on all fours into the wall behind him._ _ _ _ _ _

______At his sudden erratic actions, my eyes widened too, and I raised my hands to where he could see them, trying to convince him that I meant no harm._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Whoa, whoa. Calm down. It’s okay, I’m not gonna hurt you.” I promised gently, retreating marginally to show that I respected his space._ _ _ _ _ _

______I watch as he seemed to be having some inner conflict. His eyes went from wide and fearful to narrow and curious, but his hands were still shaking uncontrollably, his breath rapid and hitching every now and again._ _ _ _ _ _

______He didn’t trust me, and maybe he had a right not to, but the disbelieving glare he sent my way still hurt. I didn’t want him to fear me. For some unknown reason, I had this burning desire to let him know that I was on his side for whatever he was going through._ _ _ _ _ _

______I wanted to help him, without even knowing his situation, for reasons I cant seem to explain to anyone, myself included._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Are you hurt?” I asked, scanning his body, but coming to no conclusions, due to the cloak that covered nearly all of his crouching form._ _ _ _ _ _

______I watched him shake his head, still sensing that inner conflict that was showing through those beautiful blue eyes. He kept his mouth clamped shut, indicating to me that a gesture was all I would get out of him._ _ _ _ _ _

______He was debating whether I was trustworthy enough to tell the truth to, and I knew I had to push further if I wanted to convince him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well what are you doing crying in an alleyway?” I asked, feeling my patience slip ever so slightly. Maybe my tone was a little harsher than I intended, as I watched him back further into the wall that he was now pressed against._ _ _ _ _ _

______He opened his mouth, as if readying himself to speak, but closed it once more after a few seconds of thought, and I couldn’t help the exasperated sigh that escaped my lips._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Can you at least tell me your name? Where you’re from? When you plan on returning home?” I pushed, gesturing to the sky, and the fact that the warning bell was still reverberating painfully in both of our ears. “…Why you’re here in the first place?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______The boy analysed me critically once more, his eyes boring deep into my skull, and after an excruciating length of time, he eventually let out a sigh._ _ _ _ _ _

______An incredibly shaky sigh, but a sigh no less._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I- My name is Emil.” he greeted, his eyes darting all over my body, as if waiting for a reaction, but I smiled as gentle a smile as I could muster, a smile normally reserved for Sara and Sara only, and gestured for him to continue._ _ _ _ _ _

______“The reason I am here… It's because I am lost. I am lost and I am scared.” I could hear his breath quicken, and the alarming sense of worry began to multiply within me as he began to shake more frantically._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Please, sir. Please don’t hand me over to the knights.” He pleaded. I watched his fingernails dig into the flesh of his palm, a small trickle of blood flowing from the wound and dripping to the ground as he focussed on calming his breath. “I promise I will never return, just please don’t hand me in.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______His voice was getting louder with each passing second, his shaking more violent, and without a shadow of a doubt, so was my concern for this poor boy. I didn’t manage to gather much else from his incoherent rambling that followed. It seemed to be nothing but an endless string of variations of _'I’m too young to die' _s.___ _ _ _ _ _

________There was one thing, however, that I had managed to gather from our brief conversation, if you could call it that._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________This boy was the reason that the warning bell was sounding in the first place, and I could feel the inner conflict going on between my head and my heart, fighting for control over my body. My head told me to turn him over to the authorities. If he was the cause of the warning bell’s tolls, then he must have deserved to be handed over._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Yet, my heart was telling me that I had to help him, that he was nothing but a vulnerable boy, and that whatever he did, with the level of innocence that shone in those deep blue eyes, there was no way that he could have possibly did it with malicious intent._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The final thing that you should know about me, is that despite my constant temper and snappy nature, I have a big heart, and it almost always wins over my head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________\--~Emil~--_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I knew that it was over for me. Even before I heard the man clearing his throat above me, it was a lost cause._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________My theory that if I kept going in the same direction, it would eventually take me to the woods didn’t seem to pan out. It didn’t help that the streets weren’t straight, nor did it help that my sense of direction seemed to be present only when I was among the wilderness._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________In addition to that, it seemed that every street I dared to emerge onto was becoming more and more infested with the King’s knights by the second. My progress rate started to decrease rapidly, and with it went my hope of escape._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I was foolish to think that I would be able to evade the guards when they were all actively hunting me. The only other option available was to hide and hope that their efforts to track me down diminished somewhat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I ducked into an alleyway, only barely avoiding being caught by the pair of knights who were coming my way. The alley was dark, the walkway almost too thin to fit four people. A horse cart stood near the entrance, and after navigating past that, only barrels and stray planks of wood occupied the space._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I continued on, until I reached the dead end of the alleyway, where I ducked behind a few dusty barrels._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________And I cried. I could lie and say that I tried my best to stop myself, but in my mind, I was already a dead man. There was nothing else I could do but cry. Cry and let whatever events fate had in store unfold._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Of course, I tried to stifle the sobs that were freely escaping my mouth, but I had a hard time of doing so. Being alone for the better part of an hour now had made me realise just how dyer the consequences of what had transpired tonight were._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________JJ and Isabella would be lucky to even get a fair trial before the King decides to execute them, and the same probably went for Seung Gil. I wasn’t sure what fate had in store for the Queen herself, but I just hoped that the King didn’t do something he may regret in the future._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________To top it all off, I wasn’t even sure whether what I had done was enough to save the Prince from death, and now I was lost in the middle of the kingdom, with no bearings and even less self assurance._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________If I really thought about it, it was a struggle to pinpoint a moment of the night where things genuinely went well since I ran through the woods with Otabek earlier in the evening._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Everything that had transpired since then had led to this, to me crying on the hard dirt floor of an alleyway, with a strange man standing over me, probably analysing my every movement as if I was the most dangerous being on the planet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Despite knowing that I had to, however, I couldn’t bring myself to look up from the ground. Fear seemed to take hold of me as the realisation that my life was officially over struck. I mean, nobody other than the knights are out on the streets anymore, and even if it was just a random commoner, he still wouldn’t hesitate to hand me over to the king._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Imagine the rewards that come from doing such a thing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I expected a hand to grab me by the arm and yank me roughly to my feet, to be told not to try anything stupid if I value my life, but no such ferocious commands came from the man looming over me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________In fact, I was surprised to find that when he opened his mouth to speak, he seemed even more lost for words than me, only able to emit the occasional stuttered _‘errr’_ or _‘umm’_. _____ _ _ _

____________The softness of his voice was what eventually gave me the courage to rip my gaze from the worn boots that he wore._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Before my eyes reached the stranger’s face, I was able to take in the clothes he wore, and almost exhaled in relief when I saw that he wore no knight uniform, but then I remembered that, knight or not, he still probably wouldn’t hesitate to take me to the King._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________The knights wanted to find me so that they could be recognised by the King as one of the best, whereas someone so shabbily dressed as the man who now stood before me would only be in it for the money, and right now, I wasn’t sure which of the two were more dangerous._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I urged my eyes to continue upwards, finally making contact with his own. I hadn’t really taken it into account until I was able to stare deep into those eyes, but I couldn’t deny that the man who stood before me was one of the most attractive human beings I have ever laid my eyes on.  
I once again analysed his physique, noting his slim, trim body, his chiselled jawline, his short chestnut coloured hair, and the most spellbinding feature, his eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________They were unlike anything I have ever seen before, the colour a vibrant shade of purple, and for a split second, I wondered if maybe he also possessed magic, but the thought fled my mind when I saw his mouth open to talk, and I realised that I had been staring for what must have been over thirty seconds._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________Talk about creepy. _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Um… w-whoa.” he muttered, as if to himself. His eyes continued to search every feature of my face, and I felt a hotness begin to encase me. For a second, I might have thought he was actually eyeing me flirtatiously, but I shoved the thought to the back of my mind once more._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________King Yakov despises anything he doesn’t understand, and if this man lives in his kingdom, then it’s more than likely that he shares his ideals. Unfortunately for me, not all fortunate looking guys share my sexual preferences._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He shook his head slightly, effectively pulling himself from whatever trance seemed to have taken hold of him, but even still, he didn’t once allow his gaze to stray from mine. In a way, I found it quite endearing, but the emotion that still seemed to trump all else was fear. I didn’t trust him, how could I when he was undoubtedly seconds away from hauling me to the castle and claiming his reward._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________What I didn’t expect was for him to kneel in front of me, and I must have made my surprise clear, as he raised his hands slowly, pulling the sleeves of his tunic to his elbow to assure me that he didn’t have any means to harm me, yet still, I was unsettled, and before I even knew I was backing away from the man, my back was against the wall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Whoa, whoa.” he whispered, any attempts to close the gap between us halting as he sat back on his heels. “Calm down. It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________His voice was soft, not the slightest hint of malice managing to shine through and break his facade, but that didn’t mean that he was telling the truth. I can’t break down my walls for someone based solely on the fact that they’re good looking, no matter how good looking they may be._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Are you hurt?” he asked, and maybe it was the shock of having so many people treat me decently tonight, but I could almost swear that I could sense a worried tone deep inside of him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I shook my head, not even considering answering him verbally. Of course, he looked to be genuinely concerned, but what reason would he have to be? If I were to bet on his intentions, I’d say he was only treating me this way because it’d be easier to gain someones trust before handing them over to the King than it would be to drag them there by force._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The soft expression looked out of place on his face, and despite the fact that I met him all of three minutes ago, I was almost certain that he didn’t use it very often._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________This had to a plot to get me to the King with as little retaliation as possible, there was no other explanation for why a stranger was being so gentle with me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Well what are you doing crying in an alleyway?” he pushed, and despite the slight raise in tone, I was surprised to find that his voice had become no more aggressive. Nor had he inched any closer than where he knelt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I made to open my mouth, but closed it after I thought twice about it, hearing him sigh in exasperation. I’m normally good at internalising my problems, but something about this man made me want to tell him about myself. To trust him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I couldn’t though, and even when he eyed me disappointedly, that irresistible pout wasn’t enough to get me to tell him what I am._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Can you at least tell me your name? Where you’re from? When you plan on returning home?” he enquired desperately. His finger was pointing to the sky, reminding me that the warning bell was still chiming relentlessly in our ears, and for some reason, the ongoing tolls took me by surprise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________It’s not like I had successfully blocked their noise from my ears, but just the reminder of their existence was enough to alert me to the fact that I was still the cause of the disturbance, something that I somehow managed to cast from my mind while the strange boy was talking to me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“…Why you’re here in the first place?” he concluded, his eyebrow still quirked quizzically and his gaze no less gentle than it was before._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________That question alone seemed to be the one that caused me to reach my breaking point. I had did a terrible job at casting the night’s occurrences from my mind, but the seven words that so innocently tumbled out of his mouth just made the whole ordeal seem ten times more real._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I had failed what I set out to do. It’s as simple as that._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Not only did I have no clue whether I had done enough to save Prince Yuri, I’m also responsible for the potential death of four innocent people. The tears found their way back down my cheeks, and I could hear my breath quicken as I stared up into those beautiful violet eyes of the man who has treated me with nothing but generosity and respect ever since he found me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Without putting too much thought into it, I came to the conclusion that I’d probably be dead in the next twenty four hours anyway. What harm could telling him a little about myself do._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I- My name is Emil.” I greeted, trying, and failing, to regard him with a polite half-smile. His eyes widened in shock, probably at the fact that I had actually spoken up for the first time, but he continued to gaze at me critically, urging me to continue._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“The reason I am here… it is because I am lost. I am lost and I am scared.” I admitted, not even bothering to conceal the ragged breaths that were creeping past my lips._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I felt a wetness in my palm, assuming that I had once again pierced the skin with my fingernails, but I felt no pain, so I paid the wound no mind. I was too busy focussing on the man’s expression, which had been blank since the shock of hearing me speak for the first time wore off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I don’t know why, but the blankness of his expression was more unsettling to me than King Yakov’s rage had been, because it was unpredictable._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The only thought crossing my mind was that he was deciphering the best way to turn me over, and I don’t know why, but the thought of this man playing a part in my execution was much more upsetting now than it had been only moments ago. Perhaps it was because I had found it within me to actually share my name, a detail that very few commoners know about me, but whatever the reason, I couldn’t stand the thought of him being the one handing me over to the King._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________To see abhorrence in those violet eyes that I’ve only ever witnessed kindness in. Perhaps that was the worst part of it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Please sir. Please don’t hand me over to the knights,” I blurted out, not realising what I was saying until it was too late to reclaim. I could feel my emotional stability leave me, but to be fair, it was something that I never really had much of to begin with._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I promise I will never return. Just please don’t hand me in.” I cried. I was practically begging now, the shame of how weak I was displaying myself to be eating me alive, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I could feel my hyperventilation worsen, I knew it was only a matter of time before the knights heard me, but I couldn’t calm down. Some people are able to stay calm when they’re faced with the imminent threat of death, but I am most certainly not one of those people._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I wasn’t ready to die yet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I don’t know when my eyes squeezed shut. I only realised that they were when a hand closed around my mouth and I had to snap them open to see what was happening. Luckily for me, my hyperventilation rate had already hit it’s peak, because if it hadn’t, seeing the man so close to me would have sent it skyrocketing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________What confused me though, was that his hand, although firmly placed over my mouth, had a gentle hold, and despite the fact that I could still see the fear in his eyes, it was comforting to know that he was trying his best to stay calm and serene._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You have to be quiet. The knights will hear you.” he warned. The sympathetic look was still on his face, and I tried my best to ignore the tremble in the hand that he used to cover my mouth. “I will get you to safety tonight. I promise.” he assured me, checking over his shoulder to make sure no knights heard my embarrassing outburst._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________If anything, his actions soothed my mind a little. We stayed that way for a little longer, just looking into each other’s eyes. I could feel the tears stop running down my face, and eventually, I felt my breathing rate steady to the point where I was able to stutter out a few thanks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Don’t thank me yet.” I heard him whisper, causing the corners of my mouth to lift ever so slightly. Every fibre of my being was protesting it, but there was no stopping the faint glimmer of hope that was igniting inside me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________We remained quiet for another minute or two, patiently listening as the heavy footfalls of the King’s knights came and went. The man still had his hand on my mouth, but i couldn’t seem to care enough to remove it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________After a while of silence, he leapt to his feet, pulling me up with him, and dragged me to the mouth of the alleyway. His hand tightened on mine as we looked out onto the currently empty street, and before I could ask him how he intended on getting me to safety, I was out in the dimly torchlit street, stumbling after him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He sent a grimace over his shoulder, silently commanding me to lower the volume of my footsteps, but with my current lack of balance, my only two options were this or lying in a heap in the middle of the street._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________We made it to the corner of the street, where it opened out onto another, and thankfully I was able regain my composure before he dashed out into the open once more. This time, however, I was proud in my ability to stay as quiet as he was._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________We did this a few more times, either making sure that the knights weren’t present or waiting for them to pass before dashing from shadow to shadow._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Throughout the whole ordeal, his warm grip never faltered on my hand, and I found myself adding him to the ever growing list of people who I owed my life to._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Once again, however, our progress was gradually becoming slower, and I noticed that the reason was that we were inching closer and closer to the castle once more, and the number of knights that occupied each street was multiplying._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________My blood ran cold at the realisation, and I halted in my tracks, prying my hand from his grip and backing further into the corner of whatever building we were currently taking shelter beside._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Of course he wasn’t trying to get me to safety. Of course he was just trying to make it easier to get me to the king. He was telling the truth when he said that he didn’t want the knights to find us, but that must have been just because he wanted all the glory of catching a druid to himself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________It was stupid of me to put so much trust into him. He had nothing to gain from this. What would he possibly achieve by aiding my escape?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I watched as his hand searched blindly for mine again, but I only sunk further into the wall behind me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“ _Come on Emil_ ,” he urged, not taking his gaze away from the road ahead of us. “the coast is clear for now, we have to be vigilant.” ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Once again, I heard no trace of ill intent in his voice, but that didn’t mean anything anymore. It was obvious what he was trying to do, and I wouldn’t fall for it anymore._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Don’t touch me.” I whispered when his hand once again found mine, yanking it away a little too harshly. Of course, the tears were falling from my eyes again. I am a cowardly wuss after all. Definitely not the type of person who would be able to change the fate of an entire race. “Just _stay away!_ ”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________At my reckless tone, the man’s head finally whipped round to look at me, his eyes widening as he analysed me, obviously judging me for crying yet again. He took a step towards me, so that our faces were mere inches apart, and due to my current position, I couldn’t physically do anything to widen that gap, so I squeezed my eyes shut, repeating my previous sentence under my breath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I felt a soft touch on my left cheek, followed by a sharp pain in the back of my head as I pulled away from his hand and slammed my head into the wall behind me, grimacing from the pain not long afterwards._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Hey!” he said in a hushed voice, his hands planting themselves firmly on my shoulders. “Emil! Look at me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Reluctantly, I opened my eyes again, staring once more into the beautiful violet that coloured his. Surprised would be an understatement to describe what I felt when I saw that he had tears in his eyes too, and I couldn’t help but feel guilty to know that I was probably the cause of this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I felt the anger rise within me at my inability to make my mind up about how I felt about him. Not three seconds ago I was absolutely sure that he wanted nothing but money from me, but now, seeing him like this, I wasn’t so sure._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I need you to trust me.” he whispered. “I need you to know that I was telling the truth when I said that I would do everything I could to get you to safety. We’re almost at my house. All I ask is that you cooperate for five more minutes Emil.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________His voice was soft, sincere, and once again, I felt the guilt set in my stomach at the fact that I doubted him. I tried to tell myself that it was good to be wary of everyone who claimed to be a friend, because in a world where my existence was illegal, it was a lot easier to come across enemies than it was to come across friends, but I still felt awful for treating someone who had shown nothing but kindness and chivalry with such distrust._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________No! I had every right not to trust him! I am a wanted man, and I don't even know him. I don't even know his name!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I think it’s safe to say that my mind was a mess, I couldn’t even complete a thought without moving on to the next._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I don’t even know your name,” I countered, “how can I trust someone when I know nothing about them?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I could see the impatience dance in his eyes, but instead of voicing his frustration, he smiled as politely as he could, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the shadow and across the street without so much as a warning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I was about to object, before his hand covered my mouth once more and he whispered one word into my ear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Michele.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________And with that, he had whisked me through another street, and another, and before I could even collect my bearings or register just how close to the castle we had come, we were standing in front of a worn wooden door, a shabby sign reading ‘V &M Blacksmith’ resting above it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________With one last triumphant smile, Michele dragged me up the few steps and into the blacksmith shop, edging the door shut behind him, and sliding down it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________His gaze never left mine, and the hope that I might actually live through this multiplied tenfold at the revelation that Michele had kept to his word. He had led me to safety, at least for one night, and I didn’t know how I could possibly repay him for it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Tonight however, I was just grateful to have my head still attached to my shoulders. Grateful for the opportunity to register all that had happened tonight and wake up tomorrow with a clearer mind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for such a long pause in the updates, life has been hectic recently, but thank you all for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> Michele is here, and while I made sure to give him some canon traits, like his overprotectiveness and his temper, I really wanted to make him a little more sympathetic and human, and prove that he can be a really nice guy... when he's sure the other person isn't after his sister anyway!
> 
> Anyway, thank you so much for reading, and if you're actually reading this, then kudos to you cause I really talk a load of rubbish in these end notes... speaking of kudos, I'd love if you left some, or maybe even a comment?? It'd be really appreciated!
> 
> Thanks once more, and see you in the next update (hopefully coming out sooner than this one did haha)


	5. The Accused

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michele finds out about Emil's supposed crimes, but will he let the allegations get to his head or allow Emil to tell his side of the story?

\--~Michele~--

I don't know how I managed to, but I had successfully snuck Emil halfway across the lower town and into the safety of my home. What surprised me even more was the severe lack of pitfalls on the way. Not once did a knight spot us, and maybe that was purely luck, or maybe it was an indicator that the King's knights aren't as skilled as their monarch wants the townsfolk to believe, but I'd much rather interpret it as a sign from whatever higher power might be looking down on us that Emil wasn't guilty for whatever his accusations were, and that he deserves to escape the town unharmed.

We stayed on the ground floor, where my blacksmithing business is run, for a few minutes. I could tell by the way he was eyeing me and the distance that he kept that he was still wary, that he still wasn't allowing himself to fully trust me, and that was okay. I had to understand that from his point of view, I'm just some weird stranger.

When I had managed to catch my breath and calm my nerves, I was able to drag him up the staircase to the sleeping quarters I share with Viktor.

I thanked the gods that Viktor wasn't waiting for me when I inched the door open. He must have stayed the night at Yuuri's when they heard the warning bell, and though his absence caused a slight surge of worry to shoot through me, at least I wouldn't have to explain to him the reason why I willingly aided a wanted man in evading the knights.

How would I possibly explain to Viktor something that I don't even understand myself? This was uncharacteristic of me, and Viktor wouldn't just accept that I helped someone with no ulterior motive, and yet here I was, helping someone with no ulterior motive.

I didn't even know what he was wanted for. What could he possibly have done that elicited such an extensive search of the lower town? 

Whatever it was, I wasn't sure that I wanted to know.

Emil followed me up the stairs, keeping a safe enough distance but still keeping close enough that I could sense his presence behind me without having to look over my shoulder for reassurance.

We sat down on my bed, not exchanging so much as a single word, and yet the silence between us was far from uncomfortable. His gratefulness was evident on his face, even though his eyes looked defeated, and he did manage a smile every time we accidentally made eye contact.

I was able to take in more of his features now that we were in the safety of my home. His eyes were downcast, the dark circles more evident in the candlelight of my bedroom than they were in the moonlight, and his hands were trembling once again, or maybe they just hadn't stopped.

It was obvious that he was reliving whatever had transpired tonight, and I couldn't help but feel guilty that there was nothing I could do to help him. The exhaustion in his eyes was clearly trying to battle with his resolute determination to stay awake, and I found that I, too, was feeling somewhat sleepy now that the effects of the alcohol and the adrenaline that came with the illegality of my actions had left my system.

With an exaggerated stretch, I managed to catch his attention, watching as he attempted to hide the worry that was dancing in his eyes and replace it with optimism and enthusiasm. It was admirable really, that he'd go to such lengths to convince a stranger that he is okay.

"I think I'm gonna get some sleep," I informed him, watching him nod his head in agreement. "Viktor isn't here tonight, so you can have his bed, and tomorrow we can talk about what happened tonight and what options we have, yeah?" 

His eyes, which were analysing the room, seemed to freeze at my mention of tonight's occurrences, but just as fast as it came, it was gone, and he managed to plaster on yet another unconvincing smile.

This one was the physical definition of a grimace, and I had to strain not to ask him about what had happened, but I thought better of it.

This would be a much more productive conversation if we were both well rested, and so I bid him goodnight with a pat on the shoulder and directed him to Viktor's bed.

With a muttered thanks and a graceful nod, Emil stood from my bed and scurried out of the room and into his own, leaving me in silence.

For me, sleep came surprisingly quick and easy, allowing me to drift off into a dreamless comfort, but as much as it pains me to say, I could almost bet my life on the assumption that it wasn't so simple for Emil.

\--~--

People tend to argue that waking up is the hardest part of their day. The thought of actually getting out of the warmth of your bed to do stuff is one that a lot of the people I know would rather not have to endure, but luckily, I don't share the same mindset as them.

Perhaps it's because I enjoy my line of work so much, or maybe I'm just a morning person, but I like to experience the quietness of an early morning when everyone else is still in bed. I like to watch the sun ascend and become yellower as it goes, and believe it or not, there's something I find quite invigorating about the crisp morning air.

For that reason, it wasn't much of a surprise that I was already downstairs, making the preparations necessary to opening the business for another day.

My better judgement had won out over my curiosity in the end, and so I allowed Emil to sleep a little longer. Judging by the night he had just endured, I decided that he deserved a little bit longer in bed. He can tell me what I want know when he wakes up, or rather, when he decides to crawl out from under the covers. 

For a couple of hours, I let myself think about nothing but the craft. Viktor and I are very efficient as a team, but we can get by on our own so long as the customer count isn't too high, and since this wasn't one of the days that the knights come by to get their swords sharpened and what not, Viktor must have taken the liberty of having a day off, as he was still not back from Yuuri's.

Before I knew it, I was completely lost in my work. The familiar sound of metal against metal calmed my mind and took my thoughts away from the man in Viktor's bed. This was what I loved to do. Here in this back room, out of sight from the customers, was where I belonged. As I've said, dealing with customers wasn't my favourite thing to do. Viktor preferred to be the one to show his face, to deal with the clients. The townsfolk all loved him after all. I was respected for my work, but I wasn't loved, and that was okay. I know my personality is a little lacking without anyone having to remind me.

Even if I tried, it's next to impossible to even hope to compare to Viktor's charm or wit. All of the girls loved it, and evidently, so does Yuuri.

My train of thought was so far from the real world at this point that I probably wouldn't even notice if there was an earthquake. What's certain is that I didn't notice the faint chime of the doorbell that indicates a customer entering into the front room. I was only made aware of the customer's presence when I heard voices emanating from behind the counter.

They were only faint, and in any case, I didn't have any right to know what customers were talking about, so I paid it no attention as I quenched the red hot steel and made my way to assist whoever was speaking. 

I poked my head around the doorframe, gaining the attention of the two men slouched by the counter, and watched as they straightened their postures, putting on polite smiles.

"Michele!" the one on the right exclaimed loudly, regarding me as if we were close childhood friends, when the truth was, it took me a few seconds to actually remember his first name.

"Ah, good morning Leo." I replied warily, still unsure whether I had actually got his name right. Judging by the lack of a falter in his smile, I assumed that I had been correct, and turned my gaze to the other man. This one I knew to be Guang Hong, but that was only because we actually were childhood friends, or rather, he and Sara were childhood friends.

I greeted him in the same manner, and smiled as he returned the gesture, before a silence fell over us.

My eyes darted between the two, waiting for one of them to say something, but it seemed that they were waiting for the exact same thing from me.

Trying my best not to lose my patience, I decided that I had to be the first one to fill the silence.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" I asked, my voice coming across more cordial than I could have hoped.

Leo's smile fell, being replaced by a sorrowful look of realisation. "Oh, I apologise Michele. Did Viktor not mention to you? We came by yesterday to request a couple of swords. Guang Hong here wants me to teach him how to hunt, but he refuses to use a bow and arrow like a normal person would." Leo quipped, elbowing Guang Hong in the ribs playfully and chuckling when he pouted.

"You know how bad my aim is! I'm much better with a blade, and I'm stealthy too." he argued.

I remembered Viktor saying something about forging two new blades, and left the two to bicker so that I could go and search the back room for the swords. Perhaps it was bad customer service, but their quarrels bored me, and the faster they were out the door, the faster I could get back to work.

I went to Viktor's bench, seeing exactly what I hoped to see resting on top of it. Two swords were wrapped in a thin orange cloth, resting below a note scrawled out in Viktor's handwriting. 

_'Swords for L &G, payments already made!'_ it read, and I smirked at the little drawing of Guang Hong killing a deer in the bottom corner of the paper.

I snatched it up and made my way back to the front desk, but halted just before I reached the doorway after hearing that their conversation had moved on from Guang Hong's hunting skills to something I wasn't sure if I was ready to hear, but knew I needed to.

"...can you not have heard yet, Leo?" Guang Hong was saying. "It's all that anyones been talking about this morning."

"Just tell me what he did then." Leo countered impatiently. "Of course I heard the bells, but nobody's mentioned the reason yet."

Guang Hong sighed, before speaking once more. His voice was quieter this time, but I could still make out the words from where I was standing. "Apparently, last night the King and Queen caught someone in Prince Yuri's chambers. They don't know who it was, but they do know that he had help. The Queen's maid Isabella, and that confident guy, JJ from the kitchens, y'know? Oh, and that quiet castle guard too!

"Anyway, they found him in the Prince's chambers, casting some sort of spell or something. They tried to catch him, but he must have used his magic to get away. JJ and Isabella are claiming that they meant no harm towards the Prince, that this sorcerer was the Healer Druid trying to help him after his hunting wound, but everybody knows that the Healer Druid is nothing but a myth.

"Whoever he was, he succeeded in what he set out to do. The Prince is dead. That wretched sorcerer killed him and fled, and now there's no true heir to the throne, I could almost hear the Queen's wailing this morning when I was serving the nobles their breakfast." Guang Hong trailed off, obviously not wanting to go any further.

There was about twenty agonising seconds of silence after Guang Hong finished speaking, in which I tried my best to register what I had just heard and link the events to Emil, to somehow make myself believe that Emil was the person that they were talking about. Could it be possible that Emil killed the prince?

At the embarrassingly delayed realisation, I gasped, my hand jerking from the shock, and one of the blades that I was cradling cutting deeply into my palm.

I cried out in pain, watching the blood drip to the floor from the deep gash at a rapid rate, before clamping my uninjured hand over my mouth and staggering to my work bench to get a rag to wrap it with. 

They must have heard my cry, as Leo called my name from the front room, forcing me to tie off the rag and quickly rush back to deliver them their swords.

With as little of a grimace as I could pull off in this amount of pain, I handed the swords over to a worried looking Leo, apologising for the wait and wishing them a good day, clearly trying to usher them out of the front door as quick as possible, but I had no such luck.

Damn Leo and his talkative personality.

"Are you okay Michele?" he asked, before continuing without allowing me to answer his first question. "Did you hear about the Prince?"

I had to strain to bite back my snarky response, feigning ignorance and listening carefully as Leo relayed the information that I had just heard leave Guang Hong's mouth minutes ago.

Yet, despite the fact that it was my second time hearing this information, I still couldn't quite make myself believe it to be true. Emil couldn't be a murderer. More importantly, he couldn't possibly be a sorcerer.

The actions that Leo had just mentioned and the scared young man that I found in the corner of an alleyway last night just didn't hold any possible correlation, and so after a few more seconds of complete silence, I opened my mouth once more. 

"I don't believe it." I said sternly, coming to the conclusion that Guang Hong must be misinformed. The Prince wasn't dead, Emil didn't kill him, and he most certainly didn't have magic.

"I know, I can hardly believe it myse-" Leo started, but I cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"No! You're wrong." I shouted. "Prince Yuri isn't dead. Em- Whoever caused the warning bells to sound didn't do so killing the Prince." I firmly stated, hoping that they didn't pick up on how nearly I said Emil's name.

"If you don't believe us you can go and look for yourself." Guang Hong suggested. "After the breakfast service I walked past a lot of townsfolk laying out flowers for the late Prince by the portcullis. They're all just as upset. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Prince Yuri would have made a great King." he finished, before reaching across the counter and patting me on the shoulder.

I didn't even have the energy to scowl at him for initiating physical contact. I was frozen to the spot, even as they thanked me for the weapons and left the building, I couldn't move, never mind reply.

My brain was short-circuiting. If this was all a hoax, a joke made up by Leo and Guang Hong, then it was done in incredibly poor taste, but if it was true, then I had aided and abetted a murderer. I had brought someone to safety who had killed a member of our royal family, and I had done so willingly.

Maybe this man in Viktor's bed was just a master criminal. Maybe all of the tears and vulnerability were fake, a way to force me into helping him get to safety.

A white hot flash of rage blurred my vision, and before I could even comprehend where my feet were taking me, I was locking the door to the blacksmith shop behind me and heading towards the castle's portcullis.

Just as Guang Hong had claimed, there was a crowd of distraught townsfolk gathered around the castle entrance. Some were laying out flowers, some were weeping into their family's shoulders, and some were preaching from atop horse carts, claiming that the Prince would never be forgotten but that we would get through this dark time with the help of their higher deity.

The guilt was attacking my insides like punches to the gut, forcing the bile to rise through my oesophagus and I only had time to make my way to the edge of the street before I was expelling all of the liquid in my body out onto the pathway.

I was the reason that this man was still not in chains. I had allowed myself to be manipulated by the crocodile tears of a murderer, and I felt betrayed.

With one final glance at the devastated townsfolk surrounding the portcullis, I turned on my heel and took off back to the blacksmith shop.

I had let Emil use me to his advantage. I had let him convince me that he was the victim in this whole ordeal, I had trusted him!

He was the first person that I felt that I had sensed any sort of an immediate connection with, and he just used me to save his own ass for the crimes he had committed. That wouldn't be happening again, though. Now that I know the truth, I'll make certain that his last breath will be taken in that courtyard, and after seeing what he's done, the despair he's caused, I can confidently say that I'll enjoy watching him burn.

\--~Emil~--

Sleeping was impossible, but that was something that I was expecting, given the traumatic night I had just endured. There was absolutely no chance I'd be able to drift off, not even for a moment, after all that I'd seen.

Even with the luxurious comfort of laying on a mattress for the first time in my life, my head was too full of negative thoughts for me to make the most of it, and honestly, that was more upsetting than it should have been for me. I always imagined the day I'd be able to sleep in a real bed to be the day I was free to be who I am within the kingdom. It was a stupid childhood fantasy I used to have, but now it was spoiled forever. Spoiled by the reality that my first opportunity to rest on a mattress would be as a wanted man, hiding from the authorities, and still very much banished from the kingdom.

I did try, for the first few minutes, to sleep, but every time I closed my eyes I was brought back to that stuffy room within the castle. I was forced to see the enraged face of the King when he put two and two together and realised who exactly the Queen had contacted. I was forced to relive the terror in Isabella's eyes, the desperation in Seung Gil's and JJ's, but worst of all, I was forced to remember the optimism in Otabek's conventionally emotionless face.

The fact that I may have let him down, along with the rest of the druids, that was what was the hardest for me to bear.

Even thinking about Michele, who had treated me with such respect all night, who had risked his own life to save mine, wasn't enough to quell the suffocating dread that loomed over me.

The thought of Michele should have been a calming one, but instead it instilled more worry in me at the possibility of him getting caught and executed alongside me. I had put him in danger, just as I had put everyone else who helped me last night in danger, and unless I had done enough to save Prince Yuri's life, it was all for nought.

If Prince Yuri were to die, then that would cause an even larger divide between those with magic and those without it. I fear it would be irreparable, and that's why I spent the entirety of the night staring blankly at the ceiling, fruitlessly attempting to rid my mind of... _everything_.

I wasn't sure how I felt when I heard Michele get up and quietly shuffle towards the stairs to his workshop, passing Viktor's room by as if meeting me the night before was a mere dream to him. On one hand, I was thankful for the distraction from my thoughts that his movement provided, but on the other, it made me more scared that it was already morning, meaning that time was inching ever closer to the moment that I would find out whether the Prince would recover or not.

I debated getting out of Viktor's bed and doing something more productive than wallowing in my own self destructive thoughts, but that would mean facing the truth faster than I felt capable. I knew that as soon as I showed my face, Michele would start asking questions, and I wasn't ready to share my alleged crimes with him just yet.

In any case, dawn was still breaking. Michele is clearly an early riser, because the sky still hadn't brightened to it's full potential just yet. It was less scary, and still socially acceptable, to stay in bed and figure out the best way to possibly break the news to him.

So I just lay there, watching the sky lighten ever so gradually as the somehow cathartic chime of metal against metal rang from downstairs.

I wasn't sure how long I had listened to him work, but after an unusually lengthy lull in the noise, I had finally mustered up enough courage to roll out of bed and carefully tiptoe downstairs.

I tried to calm my shaking hands by telling myself that this man was the same man who saved me from the knights last night, that he was nothing to be afraid of, but it was all to no avail. I still had trouble steadying my heart rate as I silently descended the stairs into the workshop.

Once I did finally reach the bottom of the stairs, the silence that hung around me was almost overbearing, and after a quick and careful circuit of the lower floor, I was forced to come to the conclusion that Michele had left his Blacksmith's for some reason.

Part of me was glad that I had even more time to figure out what exactly to say to him, but I did wonder what could have been so important to him to close his business at such a peak time.

I tried my best to pay it no mind though. I had no knowledge of the craft of blacksmithing, so maybe he was just out to make a delivery to a client, or to collect materials. Who knew?

I sauntered back upstairs, a little more at ease now that I was certain of my privacy. He had even locked the door, something that I had checked while I was down there, so the chances of a customer walking in and seeing me were practically nonexistent.

A wave of hunger hit me as I was ascending the stairs, and an idea struck me. I didn't hear Michele eating before he started his work in the morning, so maybe he'd be hungry when he got back. Cooking him breakfast was the least I could do to show my gratitude for what he risked to save me last night.

I found the little corner in the living area that he and his friend must have dedicated to cooking and eating, and busied myself with cooking whatever was available, which wasn't much. Only a loaf of maslin bread, a few slices of pork or ham, a small block of cheese, and some weird green vegetables that I had never seen were present.

So, mustering up all of the cooking skills that I possessed, I toasted the bread, fried the meat, and got to melting the cheese on top of it.

As I was nearing the end of my oh so complicated cooking process, I heard the chime of the bell signalling Michele's return. I smiled a little, much more comfortable knowing that, even if he did get upset upon hearing about my accusations, at least I had something to give to him as a thank you for helping me, even if it was something so insignificant as a slice of toast. My somewhat lifted spirits deflated, however, when I saw the force with which he stormed up the stairs to greet me.

And when I say stormed, I mean _stormed_ , enraged stomping and all.

I decided to brush the indignation that was evident in every fibre of his being off, pretending to ignore it completely, and instead approached him with as polite a smile on my face as I could manage, both plates in hand.

I stopped after a few steps though, my eyes widening as they travelled down his body and clocked with the bloody rag that was wrapped clumsily around his left hand. It was soaked through so much that the rag was a dark crimson and his blood was still effortlessly managing to drip past it and onto the wooden floor. The ability for it to absorb anything was long gone, and yet he didn't even seem to notice that he was injured.

The peaceful attitude that I had adopted whilst making breakfast had fully disappeared by now, replaced by both the worry that my instincts as a healer had forced to kick in upon seeing such a deep wound, and the fear caused by the anger and solemnity with which he stalked towards me.

This was not the Michele that I knew from last night, and I feared that the reason for this change in character was that he had been made aware of what I was accused of.

He stopped a few metres away from me, eyeing me up and down maniacally, his chest heaving and his hands clenched into fists, even the injured one. I could sense the fury behind his gaze, causing the vein in his forehead to throb almost comically, and I had no doubt that, with the way that he regarded me, the outrage was directed at me.

Even still, I tried my best to feign ignorance, hoping that I could at least evoke some sympathy from him that might be able to assuage his wrath.

"Mickey! What happened to your hand? Did you hu-" I started, but wasn't able to finish, as Michele lashed out at me, slapping one of the plates out of my hand with his good hand and watching as I grimaced when the ceramic dish shattered on the floor.

I was a little hurt that he didn't even acknowledge my attempts to cook breakfast for him, but I forced myself to see that there were more pressing matters here, and I couldn't allow myself to be offended by something as trivial as that.

"Don't you _dare_ call me that. Only Sara can call me Mickey." he spat, taking an intimidatory step in my direction. "And don't pretend that you're innocent Emil. I know what you've done."

Everything around me froze in that moment. I held my breath without realising, watching as his jaw tightened with rage and waiting for him to continue. I didn't know the rumours yet. For all I knew, the King had lied about my reason to be at the castle last night. Judging by the look on Michele's face right now, it was clear that the King hadn't claimed that I was there to help his son, but that was to be expected. I just wondered how far he had taken it to paint me as the villain.

"I know you killed the Prince, Emil... and to think that I helped you, to think I-" Michele continued to speak, but after that point, almost everything that left his mouth failed to reach my brain, despite the steady rise in the volume of his voice. I didn't even feel the other plate slipping from my hand, nor did I register it smashing on the ground alongside the other one. My mind was too stuck on one word.

He said killed, which could only mean one thing. The Prince was dead. What I had achieved last night wasn't enough to save Prince Yuri from death, and the only thing that I was certain of at this point was that I had just gave the King an indisputable reason to hate magic, to double the efforts made in order to banish all those who possess it. I had just ensured that the craft was despised all across the kingdom, and the crushing weight of it all quickly set in, making it harder to breathe.

The coexistence that used to be present within society between those with magic and those without, the coexistence that I thought I was on the cusp of reestablishing, had just been shattered beyond repair, and I was the sorcerer responsible.

"Do you have nothing to say?" he was yelling, his face reddening even more as he closed the gap, and yet I was only picking up fragments of what left his lips. "Are you not even going to try to defend yourself? Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

He continued to yell, but I didn't reply, how could I when the realisation that I had probably worsened the living conditions of my entire kind had just struck me like a freight train. I didn't know how to handle this knowledge. As far as I'm concerned, nobody would.

Michele was still screaming at me, I could see the emotion on his face, beet red and twisted with fury. I could see the rage in his hand gestures, rapid and overt, but now I couldn't seem to make out any of the words he was saying, not a single one. Maybe I was lucky in that sense. Seeing him look so outright irate and betrayed was already enough of a punch to the gut. I didn't need to hear the hostile and venomous words he was sending my way as well.

The world around me began to go blurry. I felt like I was watching everything happen from underwater, and it was getting increasingly hard to make out Michele's features the longer I stared at him, my jaw slack and my eyes wide. What I did manage to decipher, however, was the slight hint of surprise on his face and the lunge he took in my direction before my vision went completely black. I didn't feel myself colliding with the hard surface of the floor, I must have already fainted by that point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whats this?? A chapter??
> 
> I apologise guys, I have been incredibly... like stupidly busy in the past few weeks with deadlines, but I have managed to find a little opening of free time and the motivation to actually write the next chapter, and so here it is!
> 
> Hopefully you enjoy, and if you did, then I will look forward to seeing you in the next update, whenever that may be!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading my first chapter, I hope it wasn't boring! Also I promise Michele will become part of the story in the upcoming chapters!
> 
> I don't have a schedule for posting, but hopefully the next chapter will be out soon, thank you all for reading!!


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